In the course of its busy international promotion tour, Autopromotec recently rolled into South America with a road show that hit some of Argentina’s and Brazil’s most important cities.
This is part of an internationally oriented project co-funded by the Emilia-Romagna region, which is also actively involved in similar promotional events to be held in Turkey, Vietnam and Indonesia. The two South American countries have actually been a long sought goal in the organizers’ growth plans, since they represent crucial marketplaces for the Bologna, Italy-based show and the Italian aftermarket industry in terms of exhibitors and visitors.
The meetings in Argentina and Brazil saw the participation of local automotive stakeholders – including trade associations, show organizers, promotion organizations and the specialized business press – who learned more about the exhibition and the entire Italian automotive aftermarket industry.
Autopromotec Brand Manager Emanuele Vicentini says: “In both countries, besides increased promotional activities and well consolidated relationships with buyer delegations and specialized journalists, new opportunities have arisen to enhance our international expansion efforts, a project we have been promoting for several years. These roadshows are a crucial part of our growth plan, because they can enhance the show’s reputation and authority both at an international level and within the Italian aftermarket industry.
The road show in Argentina
Autopromotec’s almost historical promotion activities in Argentina are being successfully carried on thanks to a consolidated agreement with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Buenos Aires. The first stop was actually Argentina’s capital city and saw the participation of stakeholders from more than 25 different commercial branches, including company members, as well as local associations and federations, that attended a detailed presentation of the upcoming show and its features.
On this occasion, the Autopromotec management witnessed an important new addition: last year, the South American federation of tire retreaders’ associations was founded, which groups organizations from Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and some more. In the next few months, Autopromotec, AIRP (Italian Tyre Retreaders Association) and some members of the newly born South American federation will be jointly organizing the first-ever convention of all major European and South-American retread tire associations, which will be held during Autopromotec 2015.
Furthermore, ExportAr, the Argentine organization fostering national economic and commercial growth, is looking to add Autopromotec to the list of exhibitions endorsed by the government, and to set up an institutional stand at the upcoming show to gain visibility for its country and host Argentine companies interested in the project.
The road show in Brazil
The second stop of the Autopromotec South American road show included the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo, where workshops were held for the major local trade associations and companies, equipment and spare parts importers, tire distributors and garage networks, to present the upcoming edition of the show and promote participation of some of their most important members. EGEA (European Garage Equipment Association) Vice President Massimo Brunamonti also took part, and he opened the meetings introducing the latest European updates on safety regulations, as well as the latest technological innovations that will affect the maintenance sector.
The meeting in São Paulo also featured GIPA Brasil Managing Director Raùl Camargo, who explained and compared automotive industry trends in the main European and South American countries. The Autopromotec Brand Manager also met, courtesy of the local branch of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the organizers of some popular Brazilian trade shows and exhibitions (namely Automec, Automec Pesado and Autoparts), with whom he planned partnership projects and mutual visibility exchanges aimed at expanding the respective events and creating a joint event in an emerging market.
All roadshow stops included meetings with representatives of the local automotive media. For updates on Autopromotec 2015, visit www.autopromotec.com.
Subscribe to Aftermarket Business World and receive articles like this every month….absolutely free. Click here.
